Wind Powered Watercraft

ABSTRACT

A sail driven watercraft includes a hull, a deck coupled to the hull, and a mast coupled to the hull to extend upwardly and carry one or more sails. The hull extends downwardly from the deck into water in which the sail driven watercraft floats.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/817,814, filed Apr. 30, 2013, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to watercraft, and particularly to watercraft with a sail and mast where ease of use is valued. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a series of design details which enable easy rigging, sail use, improved stability, and trailering.

Although wind powered ships, sailboats, and the like have been known for thousands of years, the efficient and safe use of these vessels has required considerable skill and patience. The most easy-to-use designs available today still require significant effort to ready a boat for sailing, especially if it has just been transported by road, often requiring multiple people and special equipment. Once underway, these vessels require considerable strength and skill to properly configure the sails, and generally require the occupants to change positions frequently, due to changing angles of the deck, or to help balance the boat. In addition, sailboats do not allow the mast to be easily lowered on the water, if sailing under low bridges, for example, is required. Furthermore, if the boat is transported by road, an additional, specially designed trailer is needed, requiring the occupants to return to the launch location for further transport.

SUMMARY

According to the present disclosure, a sail driven watercraft includes a hull, a deck coupled to the hull, and a mast coupled to the hull to extend upwardly and carry one or more sails. The hull extends downwardly from the deck into water in which the sail driven watercraft floats. The mast is arranged to locate the sails in wind to cause the sail driven watercraft to move through the water.

In illustrative embodiments, the sail drive watercraft further includes a mechanism for easy raising or lowing of a mast. The sail driven watercraft further includes a folding deck design that allows for greater stability on the water, and a unique integrated trailer design.

Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the hulls and deck in an extended position;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the hulls and deck in a contracted position;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the deck and hulls in the extended position;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the deck and hulls in the contracted position;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the deck and hulls in the extended position;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the deck and hulls in the contracted position;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the hull with a mast in a raised position;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the hull with the mast in a lowered position;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the mast and associated mechanical components in the lowered position;

FIG. 10 is a side view of the mast and associated mechanical components with the raising cable extended to a sail attaching position;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the entire boat with the mast in the lowered position;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the entire boat with the mast in the lowered position;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the entire boat with the mast in the lowered position and the deck in a contracted position;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the entire boat with the mast in the lowered position and the deck in the contracted position;

FIG. 15A a top plan view of the boat with the mast up, the deck extended, and the sail deployed;

FIG. 15B is a front elevation view of the boat with the mast up, the deck extended, and the sail deployed;

FIG. 15C a side elevation view of the boat with the mast up, the deck extended, and the sail deployed

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the entire boat with the integrated trailer function shown in a stowed configuration;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the entire boat with the integrated trailer function shown with the wheels down and the hitch assembly partly deployed;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the entire boat with the integrated trailer function shown with the wheels down and the hitch assembly fully deployed;

FIG. 19 is a side view of the entire boat with the mast lowered, the deck contracted, the integrated trailer fully deployed and attached to a tow vehicle;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the entire boat with the mast lowered, the deck contracted, and the integrated trailer fully deployed; and

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the entire boat with the mast raised, the deck extended, and the integrated trailed stowed of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the disclosure in more detail, FIG. 1 illustrates a boat in an extended configuration of a hull 1, a deck 2, and a hinge axis 3 of a folding mechanism that allows the boat to fold in such a way as to significantly reduce the overall width of the boat. The folding can be easily accomplished on the water and allows for the boat to be seaworthy in all positions. FIG. 2 illustrates the boat in a fully folded (contracted) configuration of deck 2, hinge arms 4, and linkage 5. FIG. 3 illustrates the boat in a plan view of hinge arms 4, deck 2, hinge axis 3, linkages 5, structural element 6, and edge of deck 7. FIG. 4 illustrates the boat in a plan view showing the boat in a fully contracted position of decks 2, hinge arms 4, linkages 5, structural element 6, and edge of deck 7. FIG. 5 illustrates the fully extended position of deck 2, and hinge arms 4. FIG. 6 illustrates the boat in a fully contracted position with decks 2 and hinge arms 4 shown.

In addition to the deck folding mechanism, the current disclosure also includes a folding mast design illustrated in FIG. 7 comprising of mast beam 8, pivot point 9, control cable pulley 10, and winch 11. The unique rearward position of the mast allows for this configuration to be practical. FIG. 8 illustrates the mast in the lowered position with a halyard extension 12, mast beam 8, pivot point 9, structural support 13, and structural element 14. FIG. 9 illustrates further detail of the folding mechanism comprising the pivot point 9, control cable attachment point 15, control cable pulley 10, and winch 11.

FIG. 10 illustrates an alternative embodiment where the control cable is also the sail halyard and is led from the winch 11, to the pulley 10, to pulley 16, to pulley 17, to pulley 18, to pulley 19, to pulley 20, and then can be further extended to provide slack for attaching the sail before hoisting. As the winch is wound, the halyard slack is first taken up, and then the stopper 21 engages the pulley 20 causing the halyard cable to become taunt. As the winch 11 continues to wind, the mast then begins to be rotated up about pivot point 9 and then eventually obtains the position illustrated in FIG. 7. Another variation of this design includes routing the halyard cable through the hollow center of the mast.

FIG. 11 illustrates the boat with the mast 22 in the lowered position, the pivot point 9, and the control cable 23. FIG. 12 illustrates the boat with the mast 22 in the lowered position, the pivot axis 9, the control cable 23, and the hinge arm 4. FIG. 13 illustrates the boat in the fully contracted position and the mast lowered. FIG. 14 also illustrates the boat in the fully contracted position with the mast lowered. FIG. 15A a top plan view of the boat with the mast up, the deck extended, and the sail deployed. FIG. 15B is a front elevation view of the boat with the mast up, the deck extended, and the sail deployed. FIG. 15C a side elevation view of the boat with the mast up, the deck extended, and the sail deployed.

FIG. 16 illustrates the integrated trailer feature of the current disclosure and a door 24 that covers this mechanism. FIG. 17 illustrates the deployment of this feature. When the trailer function is desired, the door 24 is opened and the trailer arm 25 is deployed to an extended position, leaving an opening in the deck structure 26. FIG. 17 also illustrates the integrated highway wheels 27 in the lowered position. FIG. 18 illustrates the further deployment of the trailer function including the extension of the trailer arm 25 about a trailer axis 30, the trailer arm wheels 28, and the hitch receptacle 29. FIG. 19 illustrates the boat with the integrated trailer deployed and attached to a tow vehicle. FIG. 20 also illustrates the current disclosure with the integrated trailer feature fully deployed, and the trailer wheels 27. FIG. 21 illustrates the underside of the boat with the deck fully extended, and the highway wheels 27 in the raised position and the pivot axis 31 of the highway wheel lowering mechanism.

The boat of the present disclosure allows, without limitation, the ability for one person to easily raise or lower the mast on or off the water, avoiding low bridges and/or obstructions above the road. The present disclosure also allows the boat to be significantly extended in width on the water, allowing more space for occupants, and a significantly more stable boat. This allows the boat to be sailed in relatively high winds without the typical heeling angle, and without the need for occupants to change positions in order to better balance the boat. The integrated trailer feature also allows the boat to be sailed to far-away places, and then retrieved from the water with any vehicle and hitch, not requiring a non-integrated trailer be first moved to the retrieval location. Overall the present disclosure allows for significantly greater ease of use compared to previously existing boats.

While the foregoing written description of the disclosure enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The disclosure should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the disclosure. 

1. A boat comprising a structural element, a first hull coupled to the structural element to move relative to the structural element between an extended position in which the first hull is a first distance from the structural element and a retracted position in which the first hull is a relatively smaller second distance from the structural element, and a second hull coupled to the structural element to locate the structural element between the first and second hulls, the second hull is movable relative to the structural element and the first hull between an extended position in which the second hull is the first distance from the structural element and the retracted position in which the second hull is the relatively smaller second distance from the structural element.
 2. The boat of claim 1, further comprising a mast coupled to the structural element to move about a pivot axis between a raised position in which the mast is arrange to extend upwardly away from the structural element to cause the boat to have a first height and a lowered position in which the mast is arranged to extend along generally parallel to the structural element to cause the boat to have a relatively smaller second height.
 3. The boat of claim 1, further comprising a deck including a first deck section coupled to the structural element to pivot about a first hinge axis between a flat position in which the first deck section lies generally flat and extends between the structural element and the first hull when the first hull is in the extended position and an upright position in which the first deck section lies generally upright relative to the first hull when the first hull in is the retracted position.
 4. The boat of claim 3, wherein the deck further includes a second deck section coupled to the structural element to pivot about a second hinge axis between a flat position in which the second deck section lies generally flat and extend between the structural element and the second hull when the second hull is in the extended position and an upright position in which the second deck section lies generally upright relative to the second hull when the second hull in is the retracted position.
 5. The boat of claim 3, further comprising a first hinge arm arranged to extend between and interconnect the first deck section and the structural element to cause the first deck section to pivot about the first hinge axis.
 6. The boat of claim 3, further comprising a wheel unit coupled to the structural element to pivot about a pivot axis between a raised position in which the wheel unit is arranged to extend generally parallel to the first deck section when the first hull is in the extended position and a lowered position in which the wheel unit is arranged to extend downwardly away from the structural unit to cause a wheel included in the wheel unit to contact ground and support the boat for rolling movement over ground underlying the boat.
 7. The boat of claim 6, further comprising a trailer arm coupled to the structural element to move relative to structural element between a retracted position in which the boat has a first length and an extended position in which the boat has a relatively greater second length.
 8. The boat of claim 7, wherein the trailer arm includes an arm slide coupled to the structural element to slide back and forth along a longitudinal axis of the of the boat, a hitch beam including a proximal end coupled to the arm slide to cause the hitch beam to pivot about a trailer axis between a storage position in which the hitch beam extends from the trailer axis toward a rear end of the boat and a use position in which the hitch beam extends away from the trailer axis and the rear end of the boat, and a hitch receptacle coupled to a distal end of the hitch beam opposite the proximal end of the hitch beam and adapted to mate with a hitch included in a tow vehicle. 